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Co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and cypermethrin enhanced the effects on hepatic phospholipid metabolism and gut microbes in adult zebrafish
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When zebrafish were exposed to both polystyrene microplastics and the pesticide cypermethrin together, the combination caused significantly more liver damage than either pollutant alone. The mixture disrupted fat metabolism in the liver and altered gut bacteria in ways not seen with individual exposures. This matters because microplastics and pesticides frequently co-exist in waterways, and their combined effects on fish health could affect the safety of fish as food.
Microplastics (MPs) can absorb environmental pollutants from the aquatic environment to cause mixed toxicity, which has received widespread attention. However, studies on the joint effects of MPs and insecticides are limited. As one of the most widely used pyrethroids, there was a large amount of residual cypermethrin (CYP) in water due to insufficient decomposition. Here, adult female zebrafish were exposed to MPs, CYP, and their mixtures for 21 days, respectively. After exposures, the MPs and CYP caused tissue damage to the liver. Hepatic triglyceride (TG) level increased significantly after MPs + CYP exposure, and the expression of genes about glycolipids metabolism was significantly altered. Furthermore, metabolome results suggested that MPs + CYP exposure resulted in increased content of some glycerophospholipid, affecting phospholipid metabolism-related pathways. In addition, through 16 s rDNA sequencing, it was found that MPs + CYP led to significant changes in the proportion of dominant phyla. Interestingly, Cetobacterium which increased in CYP and the co-exposure group was positively correlated with most lipid metabolites. Our results suggested that co-exposure to MPs and CYP enhanced the disturbances in hepatic phospholipid metabolism by affecting the gut microbial composition, while these changes were not observed in separate treatment groups. These results emphasized the importance of studying the joint toxicity of MPs and insecticides.
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Zebrafish exposed to a combination of polystyrene microplastics and the pesticide cypermethrin showed more severe gut damage than from either pollutant alone, including loss of beneficial gut bacteria, growth of harmful microbes, and increased antibiotic resistance genes. This suggests that microplastics and pesticides together may disrupt gut health more than expected, which is relevant since humans encounter both pollutants through food and water.
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Researchers investigated the combined liver toxicity of the pesticide imidacloprid and polystyrene microplastics in adult zebrafish over 21 days. The combination caused greater changes in gene expression related to fat and sugar metabolism and inflammatory responses than either contaminant alone. The study suggests that even low concentrations of microplastics and pesticides together may produce more severe hepatotoxic effects than individual exposures.
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Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics and the persistent pollutant PFOA separately and together for 28 days, finding that combined exposure caused greater intestinal barrier breakdown, liver damage, lipid metabolism disruption, and gut microbiome dysbiosis than either contaminant alone — raising concerns about nonalcoholic fatty liver disease risk from co-occurring plastic and chemical pollution.
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Researchers found that combining polystyrene microplastics with the common herbicide atrazine was more toxic to zebrafish than either pollutant alone, causing greater liver and gut damage. The combination also degraded water quality by reducing oxygen levels and increasing harmful nitrogen compounds. This is important because microplastics and pesticides frequently co-exist in the environment, meaning their combined effects on aquatic life and food safety may be worse than studies of individual pollutants suggest.
Combined toxic effects of polyethylene microplastics and lambda-cyhalothrin on gut of zebrafish (Danio rerio)
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